James Buchanan actually said...

"This should have accompanied the papers which have already been transmitted to the House, but was omitted by mistake."

"every practicable effort has been made, and will be continued, to discover all the guilty parties and to bring them to justice."

"I concur with the Attorney-General in the opinion that it would be incompatible with the public interest at this time to communicate the correspondence with the officers of the Government at Savannah ..."

"the offense referred to in the resolution has been committed"